Kukla's Korner Hockey

“It’s pretty clear how Gary’s operated here,’’ said the agent, referring to Gary Bettman, league commissioner for all three lockouts in the game’s history. “If you look at the document, you can tell he’s ignored the input of hockey people, especially his own GMs, who are the guys who have to work with it every day. Nothing changed in no-trades, in arb, in age threshold for free agency . . . guaranteed contracts.

“He’s an extremely bright guy, no one questions that. But I think he thinks his own GMs are dumb. He refuses to listen to most of them, and so you end up with a deal that wins on 50/50 and contract length — very important stuff —but then all this other vital stuff gets left alone.’’

The same agent, who Saturday night noted to the Globe that the CBA was “all but’’ complete some 10 hours before its details were made public, said he figures Bettman will soon be moved off the job. Speculation around Bettman being fired has cropped up in multiple reports around the league since the pact was announced Sunday morning.